title: Oxidative stress as a common mediator for apoptosis induced-cardiac damage in diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible role of oxidative stress as a common mediator of apoptosis and cardiac damage in diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This experimental work was conducted on 5 groups of Wistar rats. Group I was the control group. Diabetes type 1 was induced in other groups (by streptozotocin) and animals received insulin or vitamin E (300 mg /kg body weight), both insulin and vitamin E, or no treatment for 4 weeks according to their group. At the end of the study, serum and cardiac tissues were examined for biochemical parameters of cardiac function, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Electron microscopy pictures of cardiac tissue were also evaluated for signs of cardiac damage
  
  
  RESULTS
  Markers of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation as well as manifestations of cardiac damage as assessed by electron microscopy were significantly decreased in rats treated with both insulin and vitamin E when compared with untreated diabetic rats or rats treated with either insulin or vitamin E alone
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of both vitamin E and insulin was effective in reducing markers of oxidative stress and apoptosis and improving parameters of cardiac function in experiments animals. Antioxidants might prove beneficial as an adjuvant treatment in addition to insulin in type 1 diabetes associated with manifestations of cardiac complications.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dallak
authors.forename: Dimitri P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mikhailidis
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Haidara
authors.forename: Ismaeel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Bin-Jaliah
authors.forename: Olaa M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Tork
authors.forename: Moshira A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rateb
authors.forename: Hanaa Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Yassin
authors.forename: Zeinb A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Al-Refaie
authors.forename: Ibrahim M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Samy M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elawa
authors.forename: Laila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rashed
authors.forename: Noha A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Afifi